John Calipari wants to “ruin ESPN’s weekend” with win over Louisville

The Kentucky Wildcats are 1-5 for the first time in nearly 100 years. Yes, I am talking about the basketball team. Within a month, this team has gone from typical “growing pains” to an uphill battle to make the NCAA Tournament. Hopefully the road to March Madness will start on Saturday in Louisville, and coach John Calipari recognizes how but such a win could be.

“There are a lot of trolls out there right now,” Calipari said on Monday during his call-in show. “And let me say this, they just moved our game from ESPN2 to ESPN. Why do you think they did that?” They’re hoping, “Here’s (loss) number six.” We’ve got to ruin ESPN’s weekend.”

Regardless of the rest of the schedule, the Louisville game is identified by most Kentucky fans as the biggest game of the year. In a season that seams unsalvageable, a win over the Cardinals would go a long way toward giving Big Blue Nation something to smile about.

Louisville enters the game with a record of 5-1, although there are no marquee wins and they lost by nearly 40 to Wisconsin last week. Regardless, the Cardinals are favored at home over Kentucky and have looked like the better team in almost every way this season.

While Calipari did not mention Louisville by name, he did make it clear that a win this weekend could make a statement that this team is not dead yet.

“That’s got to be our job,” Calipari said. “‘We’re going to ruin your weekend.’ We know why you put this on ESPN instead of ESPN2. You want more people to go to the execution! Well, we ain’t having it.”

Tip-off is at 1 p.m. on ESPN this Saturday. If there is any hope for salvaging this season, a win against Louisville is a necessity.